“Did you sleep well?” she asked gently, unfolding a napkin and hoping he would not simply give her a curt answer but move the conversation along somehow.
All he did in response was grunt into his cup of coffee.
The awkwardness was so horrific, it was almost humorous.
Despite all the wrong ways their marriage rubbed off on her, she still intended to make the most of it. She put in more effort than she felt was necessary afterward, making sure she looked pretty, wanting to at least make the other members of the household view her as a worthy duchess.
Facing him again after he had left her outside the day before had grated on her nerves more than she thought it would.
She had honestly expected him to come to her quarters, if not to continue the conversation they had started in the carriage. Or to make good on the look he had given her during their little accident.
But he never showed up.
And that left her with an odd taste in her mouth.
She had honestly expected him to make some solid advances towards her. Everyone in London knew his name, and he was often used as a standard for rakes—an example to be avoided at all times.
But he did not approach her in that manner, and it made her wary. What was it he wanted? Just to secure his claim to the dukedom? Was that truly all?
“Well, I did.” Nancy held her head up high, refusing to give up. “My quarters are quite comfortable, and the rest of the castle seems to be just as wonderful. At least the parts I did see,” she told him
He seemed to sense her unwillingness to relent and sighed, sitting up straight as he lowered his cup. “Well. If you have any desire to redecorate or…” He waved a hand in the air, reaching for his coffee cup again with the other. “Feel free to do as you wish. I have no attachment to this place, anyway.”
It was a strange way to perceive one’s childhood home. She wanted to ask why, but when she faced him, he was frowning down at his plate, slicing his pieces of bacon apart, and she simply assumed he just didn’t care about what she did. Because he cared for nothing.
“All right,” she said instead, lifting her gaze to the windows facing them, giving her a good view of the courtyard as well as the wonderful bright blue skies above the magnificent green lawn. “Today’s weather seems lovely.”
She glanced at him in time to spot the wince of discomfort that flashed across his face and found solace in the knowledge that this was as torturous for him as it was for her.
“We do not need to talk about the weather,” was his response.
“Well, have you got any other subject you’d prefer to talk about?” she asked.
“No,” he said curtly, “Do not feel the need to entertain me, Duchess.”
“Entertain you?” she scoffed, “Do I seem like a jester to you?”
“No. And you do not need to be. We can enjoy our breakfast in silence.”
She felt the toast in her hand crack, not noticing how tightly she’d gripped it.
“Very well,” she stated as she bit into her toast.
What a boorish man, she thought.
He didn’t even try to be civil with her. Not even for appearance’s sake. It baffled her, truly. However, she had to remain in his good graces. He had put a roof over her mother’s and her sisters’ heads. So, she quieted.
Just as the silence began to settle upon them, and Nancy resumed eating, the appetite she had managed to summon for the sake of this meal growing, some commotion outside caught her attention.
Curious, she stood up and walked to the window, wondering what all the fuss was about.
When she was close enough to peer through the glass, she noticed a handful of servants running around, their arms extended towards the ground, trying to catch…
“Is that a puppy?” she asked out loud, a smile forming on her face.
At the sight of the little white and brown creature, warmth filled her heart, and she could not help but coo, impressed by how the puppy dodged a footman that had leaped to catch it, smoothly escaping in the opposite direction.
“Not this again!”
